Alpha Capital Group’s one-step and two-step evaluations can look similar because their plan names use the same percentages as their risk limits. The real distinction is structural: Alpha One has one target and a high-water-mark trailing drawdown, while Alpha Pro has two phases and a static drawdown.
Within each family, traders choose a target-to-risk profile. One currently offers 6%, 10% and 12% variants. Pro offers 6%, 8% and 10% variants. This guide compares their official rules as checked on 1 September 2026, including targets, daily loss, minimum days, leverage, weekend holding and payout conditions.
For the complete company assessment, read the Alpha Capital review.
Alpha One vs Alpha Pro quick comparison
| Plan | Phases and targets | Daily loss | Maximum drawdown | Type | Minimum days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha One 6% | One phase: 6% | 3% evaluation; 4% Qualified | 4% | High-water-mark trailing | 1 |
| Alpha One 10% | One phase: 10% | 4% | 6% | High-water-mark trailing | 1 |
| Alpha One 12% | One phase: 12% | 5% | 8% | High-water-mark trailing | 1 |
| Alpha Pro 6% | 6% then 6% | 3% | 6% | Static | 3 per phase |
| Alpha Pro 8% | 8% then 5% | 4% | 8% | Static | 3 per phase |
| Alpha Pro 10% | 10% then 5% | 5% | 10% | Static | 3 per phase |
The One figures come from Alpha Capital’s current Alpha One 6%/10%/12% guide. The Pro figures come from its Pro 8%/10% guide and current program overview.
Alpha One: a single phase with trailing drawdown
Alpha One removes Phase 2. A trader reaches the target, completes at least one trading day and follows all limits before becoming eligible for review and the Qualified Analyst account.
The speed advantage comes with a trailing maximum drawdown based on the highest closed balance, or high-water mark. The loss amount stays constant, but the floor moves upward as closed balance reaches new highs. It stops moving once the floor reaches the original starting balance.
This is easier to understand with a $100,000 Alpha One 10% account:
- Starting maximum-loss amount: 6%, or $6,000
- Initial floor: $94,000
- Closed balance rises to $102,000
- New floor: $96,000
- Closed balance later reaches $106,000
- Floor reaches $100,000 and locks there
After the floor locks at starting balance, the original loss cushion has effectively been replaced by accumulated profit. If all profit is later withdrawn, there may be no room to continue trading.
Alpha One 6%, 10% and 12% compared
Alpha One 6%
The 6% variant has the lowest target but the tightest overall room:
- 6% profit target
- 4% trailing maximum drawdown
- 3% evaluation daily loss
- 4% Qualified-stage daily loss
- One minimum trading day
A $100,000 account begins with a $96,000 floor. Only four percentage points separate starting balance from failure, so a strategy with normal 3%–4% peak-to-trough drawdown has little margin for execution costs or slippage.
Alpha One 10%
The middle variant uses:
- 10% target
- 6% trailing drawdown
- 4% daily loss
- One minimum trading day
It asks for more profit but gives two additional percentage points of total room compared with One 6%. The target still exceeds the initial drawdown amount, meaning the floor will lock at starting balance before the 10% target is reached.
Alpha One 12%
The largest-target variant uses:
- 12% target
- 8% trailing drawdown
- 5% daily loss
- One minimum trading day
It offers the widest One risk budget, but the 12% objective is substantial. Alpha Capital’s current help page says this variant is available only up to a smaller maximum account size than the other One variants, so traders should verify current availability.
Alpha Pro: two phases with static drawdown
Alpha Pro requires the trader to pass two stages. Its maximum-loss floor stays fixed relative to initial balance rather than following closed profits upward.
For a $100,000 Pro 8% account, the 8% maximum drawdown creates a $92,000 floor. If closed balance rises to $105,000, the floor remains $92,000. This gives the trader more room to absorb a later retracement than a trailing model with the same headline percentage.
The trade-off is time and repeatability. Every Pro variant requires at least three trading days per phase, and the trader must produce compliant profit in both phases.
Alpha Pro 6%, 8% and 10% compared
Alpha Pro 6%
The tightest Pro option uses:
- 6% target in Phase 1
- 6% target in Phase 2
- 3% daily loss
- 6% static maximum drawdown
- Three minimum trading days per phase
This creates symmetry between target and overall risk, but the 3% daily limit is restrictive. It best suits low-variance strategies that can avoid large single-day losses.
Alpha Pro 8%
The middle Pro route uses:
- 8% Phase 1 target
- 5% Phase 2 target
- 4% daily loss
- 8% static maximum drawdown
- Three minimum days per phase
This is the balanced choice for many traders. It offers more risk room than Pro 6% while keeping targets below Pro 10% in the first phase.
Alpha Pro 10%
The widest Pro variant uses:
- 10% Phase 1 target
- 5% Phase 2 target
- 5% daily loss
- 10% static maximum drawdown
- Three minimum days per phase
It provides the largest static cushion and daily allowance, but the first target is highest. The current official help centre confirms the 5% second target.
Trailing versus static drawdown: why it matters
A trailing floor converts realized gains into a tighter absolute boundary. Suppose two $100,000 accounts both have $5,000 of closed profit:
- Alpha One 10%: its 6% trailing floor has moved from $94,000 to $99,000.
- Alpha Pro 8%: its static floor remains $92,000.
The One account is closer to its loss line even though both show the same balance. This is why a trader should not compare the percentages alone.
Trailing drawdown can work for strategies that retain gains and avoid deep giveback after new highs. Static drawdown is generally friendlier to systems with normal multi-week equity swings.
Daily loss calculation
Alpha Capital’s current summary distinguishes between calculation methods. Alpha One uses the higher of the day’s starting balance or equity for its daily reference. Pro 6% also uses the higher starting figure, while Pro 8% and Pro 10% use a balance-based daily calculation. Open losses count.
For a higher-of-balance-or-equity method:
- Starting balance: $100,000
- Starting equity: $102,000
- Reference: $102,000
- 4% allowance: $4,080
- Daily equity floor: $97,920
This can surprise traders holding floating profit across the reset. The dashboard should be checked after each new trading day rather than calculating solely from original account size.
Balance-based does not mean open losses are harmless. Floating loss still affects equity and can cause the account to cross the daily threshold.
Minimum days and realistic passing speed
Alpha One requires only one trading day, but that does not mean reaching 6%, 10% or 12% in a day is sensible. Attempting to pass immediately can force risk close to the daily limit.
Alpha Pro requires three days in each phase. A trading day counts when at least one position is opened and closed. The evaluation has no standard maximum time limit, but Alpha Capital’s current rules include a 30-day inactivity condition across stages.
A strategy should pass through normal execution rather than token trades. Use historical average return per trading day to estimate a realistic completion window.
Leverage and maximum lot exposure
Alpha One offers maximum published leverage of:
- Forex: 1:30
- Metals: 1:9
- Indices: 1:10
- Oil: 1:10
Alpha Pro offers higher leverage:
- Forex: 1:100
- Metals: 1:30
- Indices: 1:20
- Oil: 1:10
Higher leverage reduces margin requirements, but it does not increase the loss allowance. A trader can breach daily drawdown faster when more exposure is available.
Alpha Capital also publishes maximum lot exposure by account size. On the current One and Pro 8%/10% pages, examples range from 2.5 lots on $5,000 to 80 lots on $200,000. The first identified excess-lot event can make related performance ineligible; a second can lead to account closure. Traders should calculate combined open volume, not only the size of each entry.
Weekend holding and news rules
Alpha One allows weekend holding during both evaluation and the Qualified Analyst stage.
Alpha Pro permits weekend positions during evaluation, but not on the Qualified account. Alpha Capital describes this as a soft breach where affected profits may be removed, provided the adjusted balance remains above maximum drawdown.
During evaluation, news trading is generally unrestricted. On Qualified accounts, the standard rule prohibits opening or closing on targeted instruments from five minutes before until five minutes after specified high-impact events. Stops, limits and manual actions should be managed with that window in mind.
A swing trader who needs weekend holding after qualification may find Alpha One more compatible despite its trailing drawdown. A day trader who closes before Friday may prefer Pro’s static risk structure.
Payout routes and the 40% consistency rule
Alpha Capital’s current documentation provides bi-weekly and on-demand routes depending on the plan. Alpha One uses on-demand performance fees. Alpha Pro can use the applicable bi-weekly or on-demand option.
For on-demand eligibility, the current rules require:
- At least 2% gross profit
- A 40% best-day consistency score or lower
The formula is:
Best day’s net profit ÷ total net profit
If the best day is $1,200, total profit must reach at least $3,000 because $1,200 × 2.5 = $3,000.
For the bi-weekly Pro route, requests begin 14 days after the first Qualified-stage trade. The current help page states a $100 gross minimum, which results in $80 net under the standard 80% share.
Eligibility remains subject to account review, KYC and conduct rules. A request window is not a guarantee of payment if a trading restriction has been violated.
The payout-buffer risk on Alpha One
Alpha Capital specifically warns about withdrawing after the trailing drawdown has locked at starting balance. If the account reaches profit equal to the trailing percentage, the floor reaches the original balance.
Example: a $100,000 One 10% account reaches $106,000, so its $6,000 trailing floor locks at $100,000. If the full $6,000 profit is withdrawn, balance returns to $100,000 and the account has no buffer above the loss line. The firm states that this can close the account.
Before a request, calculate:
Post-withdrawal balance − current maximum-loss floor = remaining buffer
Leaving profit behind can be more valuable than withdrawing the maximum if the trader wants to continue using the account.
Which Alpha Capital plan fits your strategy?
Choose Alpha One if:
- You want a single evaluation phase.
- One minimum trading day matters.
- You can manage a moving high-water-mark floor.
- Weekend holding on the Qualified account is essential.
- On-demand performance fees suit your plan.
Choose Alpha Pro if:
- You prefer static maximum drawdown.
- Repeating performance over two phases is acceptable.
- Three minimum days per phase fit your strategy.
- Higher Forex and metal leverage is useful.
- You close Qualified-stage positions before weekends.
Choosing the percentage variant
Select 6% for a smaller target only if your strategy comfortably fits the tighter daily and overall limits. Select 8% for a middle balance. Select 10% when wider risk room matters more than a lower first target. For Alpha One, the 12% option offers the widest starting loss allowance but demands the largest one-phase return.
Practical risk plan
Use a personal daily stop at one-third or less of the official limit. Keep total correlated risk below that cap. On Alpha One, update the trailing floor after every new closed-balance high. On Pro, remember that static overall drawdown does not remove the separate daily rule.
Before holding over a reset, record balance, equity and the dashboard daily threshold. Before Friday, confirm whether the current stage allows weekend holding. Before any Qualified-stage news event, identify the affected instrument and the restricted window.
Conclusion
Alpha One is faster but its high-water-mark drawdown tightens as closed profit grows. Alpha Pro takes two phases but preserves a static maximum-loss floor. The correct choice depends on whether the strategy values speed and weekend flexibility or stable drawdown room.
Do not select a plan from its profit target alone. Compare target, drawdown type, daily limit, minimum days, leverage, holding rules and payout eligibility as one system. A slightly higher target can be safer when it comes with enough room for the strategy’s normal variance.